The Hardest Part Is Letting Go
by Ranmano1fan
Summary: Six Months is a long time. Especially when it's the time you're apart from the one you love. But can you do the one thing she asks of you: Let go?My 'partner' story to 'The Hardest Part Is Saying Goodbye' by Inu Hanyou Babe. From Ranma's POV RanKag Enjoy


It was a beautiful late spring day. And all was well for Ranma Saotome. He was happier than he had been in what seems a long time. Nothing could make the day any brighter and nothing he felt could go wrong today. _'Eternal love will win the day. And when it does, everything'll be okay.'_

For some 5 or so months, he had been in an on again/ off again relationship with a girl named Kagome Higurashi. _'She holds my heart, the sweet little minx. But we're apart, our love is a jinx.'_

She was beautiful beyond compare, such a sweetheart and so much more, but she'd recently been torn away from him by way of their parents. Today was the day they'd be permitted to be reunited. And that alone was the reason for his happy demeanor. _'I want us to be together again. I know we will, cuz that's the plan.'_

But after 6 months of being away from Kagome, whom he's loved the same since the day they parted, he was wondering how it would play out.

For a very long time, he's imagined their reunion to be sweet and enjoyable like that of the happy endings you'd see in the movies. He'd hold his love in his arms and they'd kiss as if they were never apart to begin with. And the world would be in harmony once again. _'Without her life's not the same. No matter what they say, love is thy name.'_

But there were times, fleeting thoughts as they tend to be, where their reunion was not so picture perfect. He'd see Kagome crying as she banished any thoughts of them getting back together, like the perfect couple everyone said they were, and there wasn't anything he could do to change her mind. Only to have him strike those thoughts from his mind. _It's not gonna be that way._ he told himself, _Everything will be just as it was. I know it._

With a smile, he walked out his front door. _'I love a girl, simply the best. A hot firebrand, one not to mess'_

The two had planned to meet in the park, their favorite place to go. Which, coincidentally, was where they went on their first date. So ironically, it'll pick up again where all began.

Ranma couldn't help but to have a skip in his step as he stopped at a flower stand and bought one red rose as a gift for Kagome. _She'll love this. _he thought as he paid the man.

Not too long after arriving, red rose in hand, he found Kagome at the designated spot: the wooden bench under the large Sakura tree across from the wishing fountain.

Kagome stood when she saw him approach. _She's just like I remember her. _he thought as he got close.

"Kagome," he said and he gave her a hug as if they saw each other the day before, "I missed you so much."

Her sighing at the statement was all she could do. "For you, my love," he said and he handed the rose to her. Kagome took it, but she still wouldn't smile at him.

Ranma's smile faded seeing the look on her face. "Kags, you okay?" he asked. She did not respond. "Come on, where's that beautiful smile I've dreamed about?" She couldn't help but to smile, his sweetness always got to her, sooner or later. No matter how bad she was feeling he always made her feel better with some heartfelt phrase. "There it is," he said with a grin and then he kissed her.

It was odd, but she wasn't kissing him back. For some reason it was as if she couldn't bring herself to kiss him. It felt to him like it always did when they were together, it seemed like the right thing to do and the right moment to do it too, but she just wasn't returning the kiss. Ranma pulled back, "What's wrong? Why won't you kiss me?" He brushed the hair out of Kagome's face, "What's going on?"

Kagome lowered her head and she started crying. Startled, Ranma wrapped his arms around her again. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked as he held her a little closer. "I-I…" Kagome sobbed. It wasn't turning out at all like he had hoped.

"You what? Sweetie, you know you can tell me anything," he said, looking at the crying girl in his arms. Nothing she told him ever could or ever would change the way he felt about her.

"Please stop," she told him, still sobbing as she stepped out of Ranma's embrace. "Kagome, what's going on?" he repeated. "I can't be with you," she replied, her voice breaking. At that moment Ranma felt his heart beginning to break. It no longer was the happy ending he thought it would be, the dream was turning into a nightmare.

"What?" Ranma asked, tears beginning to form in his steel-blue eyes, "Why not?" _'It hurts inside, this pain I feel. Cuz I know the love is real.'_

Kagome sniffled, "I loved you before we were separated. But over time, I don't feel like I did 6 months ago." Ranma felt his own tears begin to fall. _No, it can't be. _he thought, _It's not suppose to be this way._

"What are you saying? You don't love me?" his voice barely audible. _Please don't say it._

"No," she said, "I do." Ranma closed his eyes, temporarily stopping the tears. "Then why are you doing this? I love you, Kagome!" he choked out the words, barely able to speak through his still falling tears.

Kagome sighed, "You know how you always talked about fate? Well, maybe our separation was fate telling us we weren't meant to be." Ranma shook his head, " I don't want to believe that!" _'On the brink, at the end. This love is true, one they cannot rend.'_

"Please don't make this harder," she said tearfully. Ranma put his hands on Kagome's shoulders, it was all he could think of at the moment, "Please Kagome. Don't do this. I love you so much." Kagome shook his hands off of her. "You think I don't?" she asked, looking up into his teary gaze, "I'm doing this for us. It'll be better in the end."

"I don't wanna break up. I can't live without you," Ranma let out a sob, trying to come up with something to make her stop saying these hurtful words, "You're my life. I don't want anyone else." Kagome shook her head, "It seems that way, but you'll see it's not true and move on."

"You're wrong! 'She is my muse invading my soul, until she's mine, I'll never be whole'," he replied, shouting the first part and softening his voice for the rest. Kagome smiled, "I remember that. It's part of that poem you wrote me." He knew she loved that poem so much he could use it as a somewhat last resort. _'On the brink, my final stand. I'll do what I must, Whatever I can.'_

" 'Take in deep these heartfelt words'," Ranma continued, " 'Tell others you meet so I know I've been heard'. Kagome, I meant every word of that poem. I don't want this to be the end."

Kagome shook her head again, "I'm sorry, Ranma." "But why does it have to be this way?" he asked, with a loud sigh. "I don't care about you like I did. Besides, it might be better for both of us," she answered.

"So you admit you don't love me?" he wondered, painfully. "I didn't say that!" she cried as tears flew from her closed eyes. "I don't understand, Kagome, we're together again. Isn't that what you wanted?" he wondered, his heart cracking more and more the longer it went.

"Yes," Kagome cried, "But it just isn't possible. You know why we can't be together!" Ranma groaned. _This again._ he thought. The reason came up before in conversation and they went through the argument once already. "I thought you didn't care," he said, just like last time. _'This I am certain, without a doubt. Love is what life's all about.'_

"I don't, but it's for your own sake. I can't get over the thought of getting you in trouble over me," she replied and sighed, "I don't want to cause any problems for you."

"Don't you think I would have thought of that? Kagome, for you I'd go through anything," Ranma said honestly. And he meant it, he has said before how much he'd endure just to be with her. _'We will weather the storm, whatever that may be. Come hell or high water, for I love her and she loves me.'_

"But you're 11 years older than me! You may not care, but everyone else does," Kagome said, "I'm only looking out for you." What she said was true, their friends may not care about their ages, but others that see them together have looked at them with disgust, as if it was sickening to see a 20-something man with a teenage girl on his arm.

"But I love you, nothing else matters," Ranma said, "Screw the fact I'm 26 and you're 15. I love you with all my heart." _'I will not stop until it is done. For she and I will be together as one.'_

Kagome backed away with a pained look on her face, shaking her head once more, "It just can't be that way." She groaned a moment later, "This is going no where." Ranma laughed weakly, "Yeah." It was turning into one of their many famous arguments. Their friends always said they could argue the day away and still be able to hug and kiss afterwards, but it wouldn't be so, not today.

"I don't regret knowing you, or loving you,"said Kagome, "But I think you and I would be better off without each other. I know you'll find another girl, you're the most perfect guy I've ever met." _'If I can't have her I don't want another. The fire that burns I will not smother.'_

Ranma sighed, "I may find another girl, but no one will be like you. You're one in a million, Kags. That will always make you special." After he finished, he wiped stray tears from his eyes and added, "I won't forget you, Kagome, my first real love."

"Nor will I," Kagome said with a teary smile. "I guess this is it," Ranma added. "Yeah," she agreed. "One last kiss?" he asked, _One last fleeting chance to change your mind? _he thought. Kagome nodded an okay.

She moved into his arms and waited as he gently wrapped them around her and he held her then, for the last time and he kissed her with all the passion and emotion he had within him, that burning passion deep down inside his now broken heart. Kagome kissed him back with the same passion she thought she'd lost. _Now this is how it was suppose to feel like the first time. _thought Ranma.

After the kiss broke, he held Kagome a little longer, he didn't want to let her go, it just felt right having her in his arms like that, but he knew it wasn't going to stay that way, he'd have to let her go at some point. When he did he whispered, "I'll miss you." "I know," she whispered back, the sorrow written upon her face was as clear as daylight.

He waited as she walked away. "Gomenasai, I let you down…" she whisper-sang and looked over her shoulder. He stayed there, looking as though he was trying to keep his heart from completely breaking. Then he heard the one phrase he never wanted to hear pass over her lips, "Goodbye." That did it. That one little word turned Ranma's heart into dust. She then turned her head back to the path in front of her. He watched as she kept walking without another backwards glance. _'On the brink, my finishing bow. On the sake of my honor, this is my vow.'_

Ranma glanced down at the ground, his worst dream come true. Slowly he turned and walked home, wondering what was to become of him now that his love was gone once again and he said to himself, and partly to her though she couldn't actually hear it, "Sometimes the hardest part isn't saying goodbye...it's letting go."

--

Writer's Notes:

I'm dedicating this "partner" story to the one that wrote "The Hardest Part Is Saying Goodbye", Inu Hanyou Babe. She said her story came from her heart, her emotions, so it's only fair that mine come from my heart and my emotions. Without her, my muse, the above story wouldn't have come to light. I put in more pieces of the poem to better showcase to the reader what Ranma was feeling. If you're wondering, _I'm _the one who wrote the original poem used in these stories.

Gomenasai is owned by Tatu.

Here's the poem used in it's entire glory:

_"On the brink"_

_On the brink_

_On the edge_

_Looking down_

_From a ledge_

_I love a girl_

_Simply the best_

_A hot firebrand_

_One not to mess_

_She holds my heart_

_The sweet little minx_

_But we're apart_

_Our love is a jinx_

_I want us to be_

_Together again_

_I know we will_

_Cuz that's the plan_

_On the brink_

_At the end_

_This love is true_

_One they cannot rend_

_Without her_

_Life's not the same_

_No matter what they say_

_Love is thy name_

_It hurts inside_

_This pain I feel_

_Cuz I know_

_The love is real_

_If I can't have her_

_I don't want another_

_The fire that burns_

_I will not smother_

_On the brink_

_The last straw_

_I shout from my lungs_

_Before I fall:_

_"Eternal love_

_Will win the day_

_And when it does_

_Everything'll be okay_

_She is my muse_

_Invading my soul_

_Until she's mine_

_I'll never be whole_

_Take in deep_

_These heartfelt words_

_Tell others you meet_

_So I know I've been heard_

_On the brink_

_My final stand_

_I'll do what I must_

_Whatever I can_

_I will not stop_

_Until it is done_

_For she and I_

_Will be together as one_

_This I am certain_

_Without a doubt_

_Love is what life's _

_All about_

_We will weather the storm_

_Whatever that may be_

_Come hell or high water_

_For I love her and she loves me_

_On the brink_

_My finishing bow_

_On the sake of my honor_

_This is my vow."_


End file.
